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Chapter Six

(continued)

Paying Respect to the Buddha

(continued)

[Continuation of the miracle stories begun in the previous chapter, Fascicle 13.] Song dynasty (420-479 C.E.): The story of the golden image of Mañjuśrī in the capital city; the story of the bronze image that was dug out of the ground in Dongyang; the story of the golden image that appeared in the riverbed; the story of the golden image that appeared at the Shangming marsh in Jiang ling; the story of the mural painting in Jingzhou that was painted over but reappeared; the story of the golden image in Zhijiang in Jiangling, before which a daughter had made a vow; the story of the halo made of paulownia wood that was produced under miraculous circumstances. Qi dynasty (479-502 C.E.): The story of the stone image at Fanyu that could easily be lifted when a fire occurred; the story of the golden image in Pengcheng that sweated as an omen; the story of the golden image of Avalokiteśvara in Yangdu. Liang dynasty (502-557 C.E.): The story of King Udayana's sandalwood image in Jingzhou; the story of the golden image in Guangzhai Temple in Yangdu; the story of the Founding Emperor's life-size gold and silver image of the Buddha. Yuan (Northern) Wei dynasty (386-550 C.E.): The story from the Gaowang jing of the Avalokiteśvara image in Dingzhou. Chen dynasty (557-589 C.E.): The story of Chongyundian Hall and its image flying into the ocean. [Northern] Zhou dynasty (557-581 C.E.): The story of the stone image in Lingshi Temple in Jinzhou; the story of the Beishan iron-ore stone image in Xuanzhou; the story of the walking image at Huayan Temple on Xianshan in Xiangzhou. Sui dynasty (581-618 C.E.): The story of the image that moved when Xinghuang Temple in Jiangzhou burned; the story of the shadows in the auspicious piece of transparent rock at Riyan Temple in the capital city; the story of the fourfaced image in Shahe Temple in Xingzhou; the story of the image made of 37

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layered linen at Ningguan Temple in Yongzhou. Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.): The story of the discovery of the rock image at Fangzhou; the story of the Buddha's footprint that was miraculously illuminated in Jianzhou; the story of the rock discovered in a mountain in Liangzhou that had an inscription containing the characters for the word "Buddha"; the story of the piece of rock that was discovered near the Buddha's footprints at Xiangsi in Yuzhou; the story of the Buddha's footprints at Lingkan Temple in Xunzhou; the story of the bronze image that saved the life of Li Da'an in Yongzhou; the story of the fire in the Yuyang district that spared buddha images; the story of the miraculous light emitted by the great image at Dongzi Temple in Pingzhou; the story of the theft of the golden image at Qingchan Temple in the Western Capital; the story of the walking image that appeared in Fuzhou and Tanzhou; the story of the golden image that appeared among the rocks in Lantian in Yongzhou; the story of the golden image that was discovered at the Li River in the E district in Yongzhou; the story of the stone image on a mountain in Qinzhou that emitted light and illuminated the valley; the story of the painted image of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva at Fazhu Temple in Yizhou; the story of the painted miraculous image in Jingzhou that emitted light; the story of the image that appeared miraculously and the sound that was heard. Song Dynasty

In the second year of the Yuanxi period (425 C.E.), Liu Shizhi produced a golden image of Mañjuśrī and worshiped it every day and evening. Shortly thereafter the image disappeared. Discouraged, he prayed for its return diligently, from early morning to late at night. Five years later, at dawn he saw a light at the buddha image's seat that reached to the ceiling beams. Shizhi then burned incense, opened the curtain around the seat, and saw the lost image gravely sitting there. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418a27-b1.) In the twelfth year of the Yuanxi period (435 C.E.), Liu Yuanzhi, a man from Changshan in Dongyang, whose family farmed potatoes, was burning the ground to prepare it for planting. He noticed that every time he set the fire the grass in one corner did not burn. After a while he became curious and stopped the work to clear the field for planting. Later he carefully dug around and obtained a bronze sitting image, over three cun tall. He looked up the history of the area; it had not been a part of any city in the old days. He thus 38

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had no idea where the image had come from. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418b2-6.)

In the fourteenth year of the Yuanxi period (437 C.E.), Sun Yanzeng's family had followed the Buddhist teaching for generations. His wife, Wang Huicheng, had been an ardent believer since she was young. Her faith strengthened as she grew up and she recited the Lotus Sutra. Once she saw a light of mixed colors at the beach and ordered the ground to be dug up there. Two feet deep in the ground she found a golden image, which was two chi and one cun tall including its halo and base. The inscription on the base read, "Produced by Faxin and Sengxing, both monks at an official monastery, in the sixteenth year of Jianwu, cyclical designation gengzi (39 C.E.)." (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418b14-19.)

In the fifteenth year of the Yuanxi period (438 C.E.), when Luo Shun was the Arbiter General of the West, he camped at Shangming. In the twelfth month he released a hunting eagle in the field, and his attendants saw the eagle catch a pheasant and both came down. Then a fire started and burned everything in the field, but the fire left untouched a spot three zhang long. When they examined the unburned spot they found a golden image of a sitting bodhisattva, one chi tall including the base, of exceptionally high-quality craftsmanship. At that time the Director of Dingxiang said that it was something a thief must have hidden, and he looked for a temple from which an image had been stolen, but no temple had lost an image. Eventually, he brought the image in and provided care for it. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106: 418b20-25.)

When Prince Kang of Linquan, of the Inner Guard, was stationed in the city of Jingzhou, he constructed a hall with three chambers to house images for worship. Graphic representations of bodhisattvas were painted on many of the walls in the hall. When Prince Wen of Hengyang replaced him in that office, he turned the hall into sleeping quarters and the paintings were plastered over. When the plaster dried, however, the paintings appeared through the plaster in clear and bright colors. The plaster was reapplied but the result was the same. The prince, who was not a follower of Buddhism, said that it was merely an accident and ordered the plaster to be reapplied thickly once 39

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more, yet the paintings came through clearly again. The prince then ordered the old wall to be destroyed and reconstructed thoroughly. Shortly afterward Prince Wen fell ill, and as soon as he closed his eyes he saw the images standing crowded together everywhere. For this reason he gave up the idea of turning the buddha hall into his sleeping chamber, and generously sponsored vegetarian feasts and lectures. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418b26-c3.) During the Yuanxi period (424-453 C.E.) the younger sister of Zhang Seng ding, who lived on a tributary of the Changjiang River in Jiangling, honored the Buddha's teaching even as a young child and she wished to renounce the householder's life. She constantly made offerings to a small golden image, considering it the support on which she would rely in her future monastic life. The parents pressed her to marry but she remained firm in her resolve. Nevertheless, her parents secretly arranged for her to marry someone with the surname Bing. The daughter was at first unaware of this arrangement but when the gifts of a lamb and a goose, part of the ceremonial invitation for a new wife, arrived, she screamed in despair and refused to go. As she burned incense and prostrated herself on the ground, saying that she would rather take her own life, the image emitted golden light which increased in brightness to fill the entire village. Her father and elder brother were taken aback by this miracle, and gave up their plan to marry her off. Both the Zhang and Bing families became great supporters of Buddhism. Because of this event, Sengding became a monk. The Prince of Nanchun, Counselor-in-Chief under the Song, who was based at Shan, turned his residence into a temple for him. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418c4-11.)

During the Taishi period (465-471 C.E.) He Jingshu of Tonghai, who had honored the Buddha's teaching from his youth, followed Liu Yun, Regional Inspector of Xiangzhou, to his assigned post to serve as a district supervisor. He accidentally came into possession of some sandalwood and had it carved into an image. The image was nearly completed but it lacked a halo. He looked hard for suitable material [to finish the image] but could not find it. As he sat leaning against a desk, seemingly haven fallen asleep, he saw a monk, dressed in a monk's robe of rags and holding a zinc staff, who said, "Sandalwood is unobtainable and coarse wood is not suitable for this purpose. There is a shield made of paulownia wood in the He family residence behind 40

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the district office. This can be used to make the halo. Though they will be unwilling to part with it, if you are persistent you can obtain it." When He Jingshu woke up he asked his attendants and learned that what the monk had said was true. So he offered to buy the paulownia-wood shield. The head of the He family said, "We do have this shield, which we love dearly. Out of fear of it being stolen, we have never shown it to anyone. How did you learn about it and immediately come to buy it?" Jingshu told him the story. The head of the He family was delighted and offered the shield to be turned into the halo [for the buddha image]. Later, when Jingshu worked in the regional office of Xiangzhou, the image appeared in the middle of the night in a dream and said, "A mouse bit my foot." At dawn he returned home quickly and found that this had happened to the image. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418c12-21).

Qi Dynasty

During the Jianyuan period (479-482 C.E.) the Piyeli (Vaiśālī) Temple in Fanyu had an old stone image from the state of Funan (Cambodia). Its origin was unknown and its appearance was quite unusual. Seventy or eighty people were needed to move it. This temple had a thatched roof. A fire broke out and came near the temple, which happened to be downwind [of the fire]. The smoke and flames almost reached the temple. Over a dozen nuns at the temple looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Among them were some who could not bear standing by helplessly, and three or four of them attempted to lift the image. The image rose easily, seeming to weigh less than the stone weight of the scale. After the image had been moved elsewhere, the temple building burned down. The image often emitted light. When the area was about to be invaded by soldiers, the image would suddenly emit tears and sweat would flow all over its body. People in the Lingnan area took these signs as reliable oracles. Later Regional Inspector Liu Quan sent the image accompanied by a memorial to the capital city. The image likely is now in a temple in Jiangzhou, or the former southern capital Jiankang. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:418c22-29.)

Song Dynasty

Wang Zhongde, Regional Inspector of Xuzhou, built a golden image, eight zhang tall, at Songwang Temple in Pengcheng. Its features were beautiful. 41

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This was one of the most marvelously crafted images in the region upstream of the Jiang River. At times when barbarous soldiers appeared along the northern border, or when catastrophes afflicted the monastic community, the image would sweat. The amount of sweat corresponded to the gravity of the difficulty. People in the commandery relied on these signs of the image as oracles. In the beginning of the Jianyuan period of the [Southern] Qi (470-482 C.E.) the image again sweated. In the winter of that year [Northern] Wei soldiers appeared above the Huai River. At that time private armies were organized in several commanderies around Yanzhou, and a very large number of soldiers gathered. Monks were also forced to participate in the war against the Wei army. The Wei army destroyed their defenses and was about to wipe out the opposing army. In its report to the Wei court, the Wei army criticized the monks for their role in assisting in the rebellion and the monks were soon to be executed.

At that time the image sweated greatly and the floor of the image hall became damp. The Prince of Liang, who was serving as the regional inspector of Xuzhou under the Wei, was a pious Buddhist. He came to the temple himself and ordered his attendant to wipe the image with a cloth. The sweat poured forth ceaselessly even as the image was being wiped. Even when several dozens of people joined in drying off the image the sweat still kept pouring forth. The prince then burned incense and, taking up a piece of cloth, said, "The monks are not guilty and I swear to protect them, so that they will not be harmed. If there really is a miraculous response to this oath, the sweat will cease when I wipe the image." Having spoken, the prince wiped the image, and indeed as he touched the image with the cloth it became dry. The prince presented a detailed report of this to the court and the monks were all pardoned by imperial edict. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:419a1-14.) Qi Dynasty

At the beginning of the Jingyuan period (479-482 C.E.), Wang Yan of Taiyuan, still a young boy, received the five precepts from Dharma Master Xian at Jiaoji, and was given a golden image of Avalokiteśvara to take care of. He took the image with him when he returned to the capital city Yangdu and stayed at Nanjian Temple. Yan took a nap and saw the image standing at the corner of its seat. Alarmed, he ran quickly to it and brought it to his 42

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room. In the evening of that day over ten images were stolen from Nanjian Temple, destined to be melted down and turned into coins. In the fall of the seventh year of the Daming period (463 C.E.) the image emitted light that reached beyond three feet. It shined brilliantly in golden color, and everyone saw this.

Later the image was kept at Duobao Temple. [Wang] Yan went to the Jing and Chu areas and spent nearly ten years there. He did not know of the image's location [in that time]. When he returned to Yangdu he dreamed he saw the image clearly among the small images in the eastern part of the buddha hall. Early the next morning he went to the temple and found the image in the place where he had seen it in his dream. This took place on the thirteenth day of the seventh month of the first year of the Jianyuan period. For this reason, in the Author's Preface to the Mingxiang ji (Record of Miraculous Signs), [Wang] Yan says:

I myself take care of this image all the time forever as a guide. As I tell this story again, I am deeply moved. Because of this miracle, I compiled this record. In mirroring reality and making it accessible to ordinary emotions, nothing surpasses the image. The source of image miracles can for the most part be attributed to this fact. The scripture says, "Molten, or carved, or drawn, painted on silk, the images that reproduce the form [of the Buddha] all can move and emit light." In the Western Region images of Śākyamuni and Maitreya emit light miraculously. Is it because they reproduce the Buddha's form? In China light gathers as a clear sign of cosmic responses. Furthermore, in recent years people, affected by cosmic responses, have seen marvelous effects in [images made of] wood and stone. These effects cannot necessarily be attributed to the [outward] appearances of the images. Thus, when the heavy stone [images] floated on [the surface of the] deep [ocean], this marked the beginning of the Buddhist teaching in the Min and Wu areas. [The image] made of molten gold dust predicted calamities at Song[wang] Temple in Peng[cheng]. There are numerous other examples. Although it is difficult to discuss this in detail, the main message [of these images] may be reduced to this. The meaning of stupa miracles is also similar. The subjects differ but the message is consistent. Therefore I appended them at the end [of this record]. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:419a15-b6.) (389a) 389a

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Liang Dynasty

On the eighth day of the first month of the first year of the Tianjian period (502 C.E.), Emperor Wu, founder of the Liang dynasty, had a dream in which a sandalwood image entered his kingdom. As a consequence an announcement was made calling for volunteers to go on an expedition to seek for the image. According to the Fo you tianzhu ji (Records of Buddha's Travels in India) and the two-fascicle version of the Youtianwang jing (King Udayana Scripture), the Buddha ascended to the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods and preached to his mother. King Udayana sent thirty-two carpenters and some sandalwood and requested Mahāmaudgalyāyana to use his supernatural power to produce an image of the Buddha. Mahāmaudgalyāyana accomplished the mission and returned with a sitting image, five chi in height, which was placed in Jetavana Temple and is still worshiped now.

Emperor Wu wanted to bring this image to his kingdom. General He Qian, Xie Wenhua, and others, altogether eighty people, responded to the announcement calling for volunteers. When they arrived and presented the request, the king of Śrāvastī said, "This is a heavenly image. It cannot be sent to a distant region." He then ordered the thirty-two carpenters to carve another image. The carvers and the image became one, and the work that began at six o'clock in the morning was completed by noon. All [thirty-two] primary and [eighty] secondary marks of the Buddha were there and the crown of the image emitted light. A fine rain came down and an extraordinary fragrance pervaded the air. The Fo you tianzhu ji says, "When the Buddha disappeared, two images appeared one after another and widely and greatly benefited sentient beings." He Qian and others brought the second image across tens of thousands of miles, overcoming many difficulties that are difficult to report in detail. Again they crossed the great ocean, going through wind and waves. Sometimes the waves were like mountains, and their food supply was exhausted. Many of the people who had come to look for the image, as well as those who were sent to accompany them, died. Once they encountered ferocious beasts and they concentrated their minds on the Buddha. They then heard the sound of armor behind the image. They also heard the sound of a bell. There was a monk on the side of a rock, sitting straight under a tree. Qian climbed up, carrying the image, and placed it before the monk. The monk rose and paid 44

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respect to the image. Qian and the others paid respect to the monk. The monk handed them a container of water, and let them drink from it. All were satisfied. The monk said, "This image is called the Correctly Enlightened One. King Kumbhīra will accompany it from here to the destination, performing this service for this Buddha. That night everyone dreamed of a god, and in the morning they all drew his picture together.

On the fifth day of the fourth month of the tenth year of the Tianjian period (505 C.E.), He Qian's group arrived at Yangdu. The emperor, accompanied by a large number of officials, traveled forty miles outside of the city and welcomed the image to Daijidian Hall in the palace. A vegetarian feast was held, new monks were ordained, and a large number of criminals were pardoned. Weapons were transformed into lotus flower decorations around stupas. The emperor ate only vegetarian meals.

Emperor Wu passed away in the third year of the Taiqing period (549 C.E.). The Prince of Xiangdong reestablished the dynasty in Jiangling, changing the era name to Chengsheng. The new emperor sent for the image in Yangdu, and placed and worshiped it in Chengguangdian Hall in the new capital city of his dynasty, Jingdu. In the eighth year of the Later Liang dynasty, Daming Temple was built in the Jingling cemetery north of the city. The image was then sent there, where it still exists. Many copies of this image are circulated in the capital city. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:419b7-c5.) At the beginning of the Tianjian period (502-520 C.E.), when Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty donated his residence to be turned into Guangzhai Temple, he produced a golden image, eight zhang in height. The drawing for the image was completed with correct measurements, but when the casting was about to begin people feared that there would not be enough copper. They thought to present a request to the court when suddenly a messenger accompanied by fifteen carriages filled with copper arrived, saying that the emperor was presenting them to the temple. Immediately they melted the metal and the image was produced in one casting. It was the most marvelous in the entire kingdom, but it seemed to grow larger. When the people measured it it was taller by two zhang and two chi. This was reported to the court. The casting had been done and the mold had not been changed. All the copper that was sent had been used. They measured the figure's height again and it 45

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had increased by four chi. The [imperial] edict read, "We did not sent any more copper. How could this happen? The image must have miraculously shown its mysterious quality. Produce a base, decorated with flowers, and record this miracle." Thereupon, the story of this miracle was composed and carved below the feet of the image. The inscription still exists today. Emperor Wu, the founding ruler of the Liang dynasty, also produced for his father the large image at Daaijing Temple on Mount Zhong. Supernatural signs appeared. Further details of the image are found elsewhere. Many image miracles occurred under the reign of the Liang dynasty. The large rock image in Shan district originated during the Song dynasty. It was produced by a prince. Earlier Meditation Master Tanguang had come from the north, where he dwelled in seclusion, following the mountains and rivers. He saw the beauty of the mountains and built a small grass hut on a peak. He heard heavenly music and a voice in the sky, saying, "This place belongs to the Buddha. Why have you planted a kitchen garden here?" Tanguang then moved southward to Mount Tiantai. Later he began to carve a buddha image. He worked for many years but could not complete it. At one time Prince Jian'an of the Liang became ill, and he dreamed he was told that his illness would be cured if he completed carving the rock image in Shan district. Then Vinaya Master Sengyou was asked to carry out this work. He came to the mountain but was displeased with the earlier design of the image, considering it to be crude. While he was still thinking about this, at night the mountain suddenly collapsed, burying over two hundred people. An image appeared inside the mountain. The image was still buried inside the rock up to its chin, but when a chisel was applied the pieces of rock over the image came off easily and eventually the body of the figure was uncovered. When all the pieces were removed, all the image's features were shown to be there. Thus the image must have existed all the time and had reappeared when the chisel was briefly applied. Liu Xie, Secretary to the Heir Apparent of the Liang, composed the inscription in front of the image. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:419c6-420a3.) After he ascended the throne, Founding Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty honored Buddhism and neglected Daoism, frequently inviting eminent Buddhist monks to lecture on the profound teaching. He also produced two images in gold and silver and placed them in Chongyundian Hall, worshiping 46

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them from morning to evening for over fifty years. From winter to summer, he kept up this practice at all times of the day. The pattern of his ten toes appeared on the places where his feet touched the stone. Even after he lost his throne, usurped by Hou Jing, he continued to make offerings to the images. Defender-in-Chief Wang Sengbian removed Hou Jing and repaired the capital city. At that time Emperor Yuan was conquered in Jiangling, and the region south of the Jiang River was left without the ruler. Wang Sengbian then contacted the kingdom of Q'i and brought the Marquis of Zhenyang, Xiao Yuanming, and made him emperor. At that time the region around the lower part of the Jiang River was unsettled, and conflicting powers sought advantages over each other. Wang Sengbian had a son-in-law, Du Kan, who guarded the palace gate.

Du Kan was cruel in nature and was not concerned about future rebirths. He wanted to destroy the two images and turn them into sheet metal. He first sent several dozens of people to climb the Sanxiu Pavilion and chisel at the base of the images' necks. When they started pounding the chisel the two images simultaneously turned their heads to look at the workers. The workers' arms fell to their sides and they could not raise them. They were dumbfounded, and it was as if they were drunk. Du Kan was also in the same condition. After a long while they woke up. They were then beaten up and their bodies were covered with bruises. They saw frightening guardian deities come rushing toward them to strike them. Screaming from pain, they got up but their bodies had rotted. Pus and blood flowed out through their skin and with their bones exposed, they died. This was a recent occurrence, known to monks and nuns as well as to laypeople. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106: 420a4-18). Yuan (Northern) Wei dynasty

In the Tianping period (534-537 C.E.), Sun Jingde, a volunteer soldier in Dingzhou, produced a golden image of Avalokiteśvara while he was stationed at the garrison in Beichui. When his term of service ended he returned home but continued to worship the image. Later, he was [wrongly] accused of extortion and imprisoned in the capital city. He could not stand the torture and questioning and confessed to the false charge. He was immediately sentenced to death. The night before the execution he paid respect to the image, shedding tears that poured down like rain. He said, "It must be because I 47

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have wronged others in previous lives that I am now unjustly punished. I vow to make amends for past sins and promise not to repeat them." He is also said to have made the great vow [to follow the Buddhist path] and spoke many more words.

A short while after he finished speaking, he saw vaguely, as if in a dream, a monk who taught him to recite Avalokiteśvara's Salvation Scripture. If he recited the name of the buddha that appears in this scripture one thousand times he would be saved from suffering. Jinde suddenly woke up. Sitting up, he recited without error the scripture, and recited the buddha's name one hundred times before dawn broke. When the officials bound him up and took him to the marketplace, he kept on reciting, and by the time the execution was to take place he had completed reciting the name one thousand times. Just as the sword was lowered it broke into three pieces and did not harm his body. They got another sword and tried to behead him again. The sword had to be replaced three times but all of them broke just like the first. Officials witnessing the execution marveled at this, and reported the events to the court. Prime Minister Gao Huan presented the matter to the emperor, who stayed the execution and ordered the scripture to be copied for transmission. The scripture is now known as the Avalokiteśvara Scripture of King Gao (Gaowang jing). After his release [Sun] Jinde hosted a vegetarian feast. He brought out the image he had made at the garrison and saw that there were three sword marks on it. His relatives and others from his village all saw this too and marveled at the miracle. (Note: This appears in the Gazetteer of Qi and other records, such as the Presentation of Extraordinary Occurrences.) (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:420a19-b5.)

Chen Dynasty

When Emperor Wu (557-559 C.E.) died, his elder brother's son Chen Qian succeeded him. Chen Qian wished to conduct the funeral and had to make the vehicle on which the deceased emperor would be transported. The reign had changed recently and it was not yet firmly established. Earlier Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty had built Chongyundian Hall and the scriptures and images in this hall were decorated with rare treasures, unparalleled in other states in their beauty. Although the mandate had shifted to the Chen dynasty, the images were still in the hall. Qian wanted to use the curtains and other jewels presented to these two images for the funeral of the deceased emperor. 48

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Workers were found for the task and when they arrived at the hall from all four directions, they saw clouds gather and circle around the buddha hall, even though there were no clouds elsewhere. People found this very strange and came running to see it. Shortly after a heavy rain fell, with thunder and lightning strikes. Smoke rose from the decorative tiles of the roof and lightning illumined the cloud. The light floated up and down like a flame. Suddenly people saw a vision of Chongyundian Hall and the two images rose up high, along with the guardian deities and the treasure seat, and flew up into the sky amid the smoke and fire. The large gathering of people who saw this became believers. After the storm, people went back to the site of the images and discovered that only their stone foundations remained. Several months later people came from Dongzhou and reported that on that day the figures were seen flying in the sky over the ocean. Sometimes people still see the images when they look across the ocean.

It is also said that the pagoda of Yongning Temple in the Northern Wei capital rose one thousand chi above the ground and was shaken by gods. Roughly the same thing also happened to its image. Some people are said to have seen them in the Eastern Sea. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106: 420b6-20.)

Northern Qi Dynasty

Toward the end of the Northern Qi dynasty, the monk Senghu of Lingshi Temple in Jinzhou was singleminded in following the Way, but rather than cultivating the path of wisdom he made a vow to build a stone image eight zhang in height. The other monks all wondered how such a massive project could be carried out. Later, in a valley to the north of his temple Senghu found a large rock, eight zhang long. He hired a stone carver who began the work of carving the image. The carver worked around the rock and finished roughly carving the front of the torso of the figure, but the back was still uncarved, and was sitting on the ground. The carver used six implements to try to lift the rock but he could not move it. Overnight the rock turned itself over. Seeing this in the morning, Senghu was delighted. When the carving was finished he moved the image to the buddha hall.

At the time that Jingzhou was about to fall (in the year 576 C.E.), the image sweated and the water flowed to the ground. The [Northern] Zhou soldiers 390a

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entered [Northern Qi] and burned down many Buddhist temples, and this figure was also burned but its color did not change. Only two fingers of the figure were damaged. Soldiers later wanted to tear it down but even though more than sixty people and oxen pulled it would not move. Suddenly a strange monk appeared and built an uneven structure out of bricks and wood around the image. The monk completed the work quickly and then disappeared. The image later appeared in the dream of a pious layman and said, "I have pain in two fingers." They realized what the figure meant and repaired the its damaged fingers. When the Sui dynasty (581-618 C.E.) came to power, state support of Buddhism resumed. In the tenth year of the Kaihuang (590 C.E.) a thief stole the flag and parasol that decorated the image. The thief then dreamed that an eight zhang-tall man came into his room and accused him. Frightened, the thief apologized for his crime. The figure still exists. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:420b21-c4.).

Northern Zhou Dynasty

In the third year of the Jiande period (574-575 C.E.) Emperor Wu (r. 561-565 C.E.) began the persecution of Buddhism and darkness descended on the realm under heaven. A man called Jiangming in Xuanzhou, who was out patrolling at night, saw light at the top of the mountain he was walking on, located over one hundred li north of [Xuan]zhou. Puzzled, he went to the source of the light and found a piece of rock [roughly] shaped like a figure on the ground. He dug out the rock, which turned out to be iron ore. It had resisted carving and therefore looked like a piece of ore, three zhang tall, and it could not be polished either. Jiangming dug further down and found an image base made of stone. The holes in the base fitted the figure. He then gathered villagers to help raise the image, which quickly floated up into the air and then came to rest on top of the base. People considered this to be a miracle and reported the discovery to the court. At that time the movement of heaven had reached the point where the calendar needed to be changed. So the name of the year was changed to the first year of the Daxiang ("Great Image") period. The image was placed in Daxiang Temple. When the Sui dynasty renewed imperial support of Buddhism Jiangming renovated the temple and changed its name to Xianchusi. People went back 50

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to the place where the figure had originally been discovered and saw that neither large rocks nor metal ore existed in that remote location. It must have been the miraculous power of King Aśoka that had brought the image there. Consequently, the name of the temple was kept by the great Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.). Toward the end of the Zhenguan period (627-649 C.E.) a Daoist shrine called Yuhua was established west of the temple. The image was in its original location, in a garden thirty li east of the temple. Emperor Taizong (r. 626-649 C.E.) once went to worship the image but, displeased by its lack of ornamentation, he made donations to have it adorned. During the Yonghui (650-656 C.E.) period the Daoist shrine was turned into a Buddhist temple but its name was kept as Yuhua.

At the present time the temple belongs to Fangzhou. At dusk in the evening miraculous light appears frequently. The monks and laypeople see this light all the time and are not surprised by it. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:420c5-21.)

The origin of the old wooden walking figure at Huayan Temple in Mount Xian in Xiangzhou is unknown. Its head is particularly beautiful, and people never tire of gazing at it in admiration and worship. The image was over five zhang tall. I will not repeat here the ancient stories of its miracles. During the persecution of Buddhism under the Northern Zhou someone removed and hid the head of the figure, and it was brought out again when the pro-Buddhist Sui dynasty came into power. The head was adorned [as a part of] a [new] sitting figure. [The new statue] was named Vairocana Buddha was constructed for it. Prayers were offered every year and where the figure stood became a place where people took refuge in Buddhism.

Just before Emperor Wen of the Sui died, the image's nose started emitting mucus that ran down its chest; gold leaf began to peel off and the flowing mucus emitted light. When people went to wipe away the mucus they could not find any, yet seen from a distance the mucus still appeared to be there. In the fourth month of the twenty-third year of the Zhenguan period (649 C.E.), the figure's nose again started emitting mucus that ran down over its chest. The figure was about one chi wide and its shape was neither square nor circular. Emperor Taizong later died, and then the people knew that the phenomenon had been an omen. In the sixth month the same thing occurred and everyone in the region was frightened, not knowing what calamity was 51

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to follow. In the seventh month the Hanshui River flooded and the floodwaters came inside the city wall, over one zhang deep; many people drowned. The image is still in the original temple at the present time, and many offer prayers to it. (Note: People in Xiangyang who have few children go to the image to pray, thinking of a boy or a girl as they do so, and there is a miraculous response.) (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:420c22-421a5.) Sui Dynasty

During the Kaihuang period (581-600 C.E.) the buddha hall of Xing huang Temple in Jiangzhou burned down. In the hall were a large bronze figure [of the Buddha], six zhang tall and facing south, and two bodhisattva images, both six zhang tall, produced after Dai Yong's model. The fire was so powerful that people watched helplessly, crying out in grief, "The figure is melting away!" Suddenly the image rose up and took one step to the south, just as the building collapsed. The figure was undamaged. Tiles and charred pieces of wood surrounded it on all sides at a distance of five or six chi. Even though it had been touched by fire; the image's golden color was unaffected. There was an inscription at the bottom of its base. The congregation marveled at this miracle and the sound of their vocal admiration of this filled the roads. The figure has now been moved to Baima Temple. Birds never alighted on it. In the second year of the Yonghui period under the Tang (651-652 C.E.) a thief attempted to steal the copper from the figure. He sawed through the grille in the window and tried to pass through it but his arm got caught and he could not get through. In the morning the monks asked the thief what had happened, and he said, "A person wearing a white robe grabbed my hand from inside the hall and however hard I tried I could not get free." (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:421a6-16.)

The shadow image in the rock of Riyan Temple in the Sui capital city is octagonal in shape and the purple color of quartz. It is eight cun tall, five cun in diameter, and transparent. In the past, during the Taiqing period (547-550 C.E.) under the reign of Emperor Wu, a monk from the Western Region had brought it. Then Hou Jing's rebellion occurred and the rock was kept safely on top of the figure in Xilin Temple on Mount Lu in Jiangzhou. In the tenth year of the Kaihuang period (590-591 C.E.), when the future Emperor Yang (r. 604-618 C.E.) of the Sui dynasty was based in Yangzhou, he sought widely 52

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for outstanding figures and images, and gathered all written records in the region south of the Jiang River. He came across the account of this rock among miscellaneous records. Immediately he sent Wang Yanshou to the temple to search for it and obtained the rock. The prince frequently moved from place to place as his assignments changed, and every time he traveled he always placed the rock in a black lacquered box and had it carried by horse-mounted soldiers at the front of the traveling party. When the prince was appointed as crown prince he sent the rock to RiyanTemple in the capital city, Chang'an, under order to have it sealed so that outsiders would not be able to see it. Riyan Temple had been founded by the [future] emperor. Toward the end of the Daye (605-617 C.E.) period the realm under heaven was in turmoil. Monks in the capital city frequently came to the temple to view the image. [The monk Daoxuan,] was staying in the temple but he did not believe in its miraculous powers. Repeatedly he saw golden light shine inside the rock but it only vaguely looked like a buddha image to him. Then some eminent monks, of different persuasions, arrived and all said that they could clearly see the image in all its details, and that the vision never disappeared. Daoxuan often deplored that he could not see any of this. He underwent a seven-day period of purification and confession and then went to look at the rock. First he saw a silver stupa, and later he also saw a silver buddha. Monks, nuns, and laypeople who looked at the rock at the same time often saw different things in it—some saw buddhas, stupas, and bodhisattvas; some saw monks sitting in rows; some saw curtains, parasols, and banners; some saw mountains, forests, and the eight kinds of [supernatural] beings; some saw scenes of suffering in the three inferior realms of rebirth; and some saw the reigns of seven ancient rulers rise and fall. When one observes the image, sometimes it remains stable and sometimes it changes. While both evil and good visions appeared in mixed order, good images predominated. Therefore, those who came to pray in front of the rock all made a vow beforehand, asking in what form and in what realm they would be reborn in their future rebirths. As they requested, visions appeared, and the people considered the rock to be a karmic mirror of the unknown dark realms of rebirths. In the seventh month of the sixth year of the Zhenguan period (632 C.E.), by imperial edict the rock was brought to the palace and offerings were made to it. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:421b4-25.)

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The story of the four-faced buddha figure in the Shahe district temple in Xingzhou [relates that] during the rule of the founding emperor of the Sui dynasty a man went into the mountains and saw a monk guarding a copper image, over three chi tall. When he asked the monk to give him the image, the monk obliged him and then disappeared. Monks in many places who heard about this image tried to bring it down from the mountain but they could not lift it. When some monks of Shahe Temple pulled the image, however, it followed their hands and came to the temple. Later, someone discovered a pile of gold near the temple; the gold had the mark of two crows on it and an inscription that read "For the purpose of plating the four-faced image." The figure was covered with gold and the crow marks appeared all over it. The image later disappeared suddenly. In the small stream running alongside the temple a shining light often appeared; people looked for the source of the light and fished [the figure] out of the stream. The last ruler of the Sui heard about the figure and sent metalworkers to make a copy of it, but in the end they were unsuccessful. After working for over two hundred days they produced a copy but they later discovered flaws in it and abandoned the project. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106: 421b26-c5.)

In the third year of the Kaihuang period (583-584 C.E.) the monk Faqing of Ningguan Temple began making a standing figure of Śākyamuni, one zhang and six chi tall. Faqing died before completing the image. On the same day another monk at Baochang Temple, Dazhi, also died. After three days Dazhi came back to life and reported to the monks in the temple, "Before King Yama I saw the monk Faqing, who seemed to be very depressed. A little later I also saw the figure come before the king. The king ran down the steps with joined palms to pay respect to the image. The figure said to the king, 'Faqing is creating me but the work is not yet complete. Why did you order him to die?' King Yama turned to an attendant and asked, 'Is it time for Faqing to die?' The attendant answered, 'His life should not end yet but the food has been exhausted.' Yama said, 'Give him lotus leaves [to eat] so that he can finish his meritorious work.' Suddenly everything disappeared." After Dazhi had come back to life and related this story to the monks of his temple, he then told them to go to Ningguan Temple to have a look. 54

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Shortly thereafter the monks saw Faqing come back to life. What he said matched perfectly with Dazhi's story.

After coming back to life Faqing always ate lotus leaves, saying that this was delicious food. If he put any other type of food in his mouth he could not swallow it. He died several years after the figure was completed. Its features are perfect, and it frequently emitted light. Although the temple has been abolished the figure still exists.

Tang Dynasty

During the Wude period (618-626 C.E.) a man called He Ji lived on the Ciwu River southwest of Fangzhou. This man had always been pious. He saw a group of deer on top of a mountain, moving away but then coming back. Thinking this strange, he dug under the spot where the deer had gathered and found a stone figure, over one zhang and four chi tall. He Ji moved it down from the mountain to the village, and the figure still exists at the present time. After it was moved the deer dispersed.

According to the tradition passed on by the elders, of the forty images hidden by the past Kāśyapa Buddha, two have appeared but the others still remain hidden in the mountains. The shape of these figures is like that of the iron ore image found to the east of Yuhua Temple. The iron ore figures should not be melted or cut apart. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:421c6-12.) In the ninth month of the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan period (643 C.E.), Li Xiyu, Commander-in-Chief in Liangzhou, was out on patrol and reached the border of the Changquan district southeast of the regional center. He found a carving on a rock, altogether one hundred and ten characters, which included phrases such as "seven buddhas," "eight bodhisattvas," and "the buddha field of superior fruits." He reported the discovery to the court. An edict was issued to have it examined, and the truth of Li Xiyu's report was confirmed. One year's tax income was returned to the local government in Liangzhou and prisoners were released. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:421c21-25.) Twelve sets of buddhas' footprints were discovered in the rocky mountains north of Xiangsi, one hundred miles west of Yuzhou. The footprints were all more than three chi long, one chi and one cun wide, and nine cun deep. Inside them were fish patterns. They were located over ten steps north of the buddha 55

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hall, and there were resident monks at the temple. Suddenly, in the tenth month of the twentieth year of the Zhenguan period (646-647 C.E.), lotus flowers appeared inside the pool fed by a spring next to the temple. The flowers were bright red. The larger ones among them were three chi tall and faced each other, and the stems looked as if they were weeping. When their tears reached the surface of the water they turned into flowers. People, floating back and forth on boats, all marveled at the sight. The flowers did not disappear for months. The name of the temple, Xiangsi ("Pining for Each Other"), was chosen because of this.

According to one source this temple also existed in Fuzhou. The temple originally was impoverished but because of this miraculous gift it is now wealthy.

In the past, under the Qi dynasty, brocade material appeared in the emperor's well in Jingzhou. At that time people used this cloth in the same way as ordinary brocade. After months the material stopped appearing. Thus the appearance of the lotus flowers is not considered to be incredible. (Note: This story is found in the Qi chunqiu of Wu Jun and the Jingnan zhishuo of Xiao Cheng.) (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:421c26-422a7.) Thirty traces of buddha footprints were discovered in rock north of Lingkan Temple in Xingning Township, located northeast of Xunzhou. The larger ones among them was less than five chi long. Xunzhou was situated on a river, two hundred miles in the east-west direction and one hundred miles in the north-south direction. The temple was very wealthy. There was a copper mine in the neighborhood. A kiln, three chi square, could produce over a hundred bronze pots with lids. They bore inscriptions that read, "Meritorious if given to temples, calamities follow if given to secular establishments." According to ancient local tradition, during the Jin dynasty (265-316 C.E.) a northern monk lived on this mountain, and while roaming across the great peaks he came to the site of the Buddha's footprints. There was a massive rock cave whose opening was covered thickly by beautiful flowering plants bearing fruit. He spent the night there. The mountain deity appeared as a monster to frighten him but the monk was lofty and remained unmoved. The deity said, "You cannot live here. Mountain ghosts come here frequently." The monk looked far in the distance and saw a rocky mountain that reached 56

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the clouds and blocked the sun. When he went there and climbed it, he saw that below it there was a cliff that was impossible to ascend from below. He returned to Xingning and told the people about the mountain. During the Song dynasty two monks, who had heard that earlier attempts to reach the location had failed, courageously embarked on a search for it. These monks recited the Lotus Sutra, followed the precepts strictly, and were capable of overpowering supernatural beings. A supernatural being appeared and accepted the precepts from them, along with all the members of his clan. When they looked in the distance they saw an extraordinary light above a cliff. They were separated from it by a chasm over one zhang wide. The monks used a piece of wood to cross the chasm, and found ten pieces of the miraculous Buddha's footprint, in the color of human flesh, marked on the surface of the rock. In the third year of the Zhenguan period (629 C.E.) another footprint appeared, which emitted light and bore the sign of a wheel. Those who have seen them disagreed on the number of pieces. Therefore, shrines were built to house these miraculous objects. People visit the original sites. During the Song dynasty the royal family donated an orchard to be turned into a temple. This is now the old temple building that still stands at the site. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:422a8-24.)

Li Da'an, who was from the Longxi region, was the older brother of Daliang, who served as Minister of Works. During the Wude period (618-626 C.E.) Daliang was appointed Area Commander-in-Chief of Yuezhou. From the capital city Da'an went out to investigate the area. Daliang sent several servants to accompany his brother. On the way back they reached Luqiao in Guzhou and stayed at a hostel. Among his servants was a man who plotted to murder Da'an. This servant waited until Da'an was deeply asleep, after midnight, and he pushed a dagger through Da'an's neck. The blade of the dagger touched the floor. The servant then fled without pulling the dagger out. Da'an screamed, calling out for his servants. Those among the servants who were not against him were about to pull the dagger out. Da'an said, "As soon as you pull the dagger out I will die. I must first write something on a piece of paper." By the time he was finished writing the district official had also arrived. So they pulled the dagger out, cleansed the wound, and applied medicine. Then Da'an lost consciousness.

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Suddenly, as if in a dream, a creature, over one chi long and four or five cun wide, shaped like a piece of pig's flesh, appeared. Floating over two chi above the ground, it came in through the door and went to [Li] Da'an's bed. A voice was heard from within the creature, saying, "Quickly return my flesh." Da'an said, "I do not eat pork. Why would I owe anything to you?" Thereupon, a voice was heard from outside the door, "There has been a mistake." The creature then went out the door. Da'an then saw a pond in the front yard. It was clear and shallow and very beautiful. Above the western bank of the pond was a golden figure, about five cun tall. After a short while it slowly grew in size and turned into the form of a monk wearing a monastic robe, which was quite fresh and clean. The monk figure said to Da'an, "You have been injured. I will now take the pain away for you. When you have been restored, go back to your home and practice the buddha-name recitation and other good deeds." Then he rubbed Da'an's neck with his hand and the injury was removed. When Da'an recovered he saw that the back of the monk's robe had a red silken patch, one cun square. The patch was very visible.

Da'an woke up and revived. The injury no longer caused him pain and he was able to sit up and eat. After a dozen or so days passed people from the residence in the capital city came and took him home. People in the residence, relatives, and old acquaintances all came to see him, and Da'an told them the circumstances of his injury and his experience encountering the image. One female servant, sitting to the side, heard this and said, "When I first came to Da'an's family, his wife sent me to a carver of buddha images to have an image made. When the figure was made it was clothed in a beautifully patterned silken robe, but there was one red stain on the back of the figure and even though we asked the carver to remove it, he would not agree. The appearance of this image has remained the same until now, and it is just like the image the young master has described." Thereupon, Da'an, accompanied by his wife and others from the residence, went to see the image. The figure was exactly like the one he had seen. The spot in the back was the same red patch on the figure Da'an had seen. Marveling at this, Da'an was convinced of the efficacy of the holy teaching and became even more pious in following the Buddha's teaching. Honoring the teaching eagerly, he lived a long life.

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All the stories of image miracles that occurred after Buddhism arrived in China cannot be told here. A selection of these stories have been given above. (Note: The last story is from the Mingbao ji.)

Over one hundred families lived inside Wuzhong Fort in the Yuyang district in Youzhou. In the fourth month, during the summer of the second year of the Longshuo period (661-663 C.E.), a fire inside the fortress destroyed the gate and all of the residential buildings. Inside the two temples and a pagoda were buddha shrines that all had paper curtains and other objects. Only the buddha images were not burned in the fire; the flames did not touch them and the figures stood tall by themselves. Everyone who saw this marveled at it and believed that the Buddha's power protected the images. Yuling, Gentleman-Attendant of Zhongshan, had already been appointed to that post. In addition, his elder brother Yuqing was well acquainted with civil officials and military officers in Qi Commandery. For these reasons, Yuqing was sent to Yingzhou and he himself observed the event. He told Yuling about it. There was a mountain temple west of the city of Bingzhou, called Dongzi Temple. It had a large sitting figure, over one hundred and seventy chi tall. The emperor honored the Buddhist teaching, and when he traveled to Bingzhou in the last year of the Xianqing period (660-661 C.E.), he visited this temple with the empress.

The emperor also visited Kaihua Temple on the northern side of the valley. Its figure was two hundred chi tall. Paying respect to this image, the emperor marveled at it as he observed it. He presented a large gift of rare treasures, expensive objects, and clothing. Various princesses and other members of the inner palace also made donations. In addition, the emperor ordered Dou Gui, the leading official of the region, and others to quickly arrange to have the figure elaborately adorned. He also gave instructions to secure a large area (for ceremonial gatherings?) in front of the shrines. On the day the emperor returned to the capital city, which took place in the seventh month, autumn of the second year of the Longshuo period (662 C.E.), inner officials sent two monastic robes to the large figures in the two temples, Dongzi Temple and Kaihua Temple. On the day when the robe was put on the figure at Dongzi Temple it emitted five-colored light from dawn to evening, which shone on the caves in the rocky cliffs and illuminated 59

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mountains and rivers. The light also entered the southern shrine where a small buddha image was installed, and brightly illuminated the hall. The monks and laymen who saw this occurrence numbered several millions. Among the noble and humble in the city who observed the event, seven or eight out of ten converted [to Buddhism]. Since everyone is familiar with this story, I will not describe it in greater detail.

Qingchan Temple in the western capital city once had an image made of pure gold, one chi and four cun tall, which weighed eighty liang. It had been produced by Emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty. In the fourteenth year of the Zhenguan period (640 C.E.) a bandit by the name of Sun Dexin fabricated a document with the imperial seal and sent a eunuch who claimed to have been sent by an imperial order to take away the figure. The monks at the temple, hearing of the imperial order, did not dare refuse to obey it. Overnight the truth became known but the body of the figure had already been melted down and only the head remained undamaged. Emperor Taizong was furious and ordered the most severe form of punishment. While awaiting death Dexin's body began to rot and became covered by tumors. The monks at the temple added gold and had the figure recast properly.

(Note: The above three stories are from the Mingbao shiyi.) In the fourth year of the Xianqing period (659 C.E.) the regional inspector of Fuzhou, surname Zu, prayed for an end to drought but his prayers had no effect. In the mountains to the east someone saw a walking figure. No one knew where it came from, but it had appeared suddenly because of the situation and would not go away. The news spread widely and many came from near and far to see it. A man from Tanzhou said that a figure that had disappeared from a temple there had reappeared here. When people examined the route that the figure had followed, two footsteps, each three chi long, were found five hundred li apart. Because the drought and heat had lasted for a long time, the regional inspector immediately went to the figure and prayed to it. Local officials and civilians all presented incense and flowers. They all walked over twenty li and explained the situation in tears. As their emotions intensified, they sent three messengers to return the figure to the Tanzhou city temple. The image rose easily and responded to the request. As the figure was returning to the city temple, while still on the road, the sky became covered 60

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by clouds and by the evening a heavy rainfall came down. The harvest that year was abundant. At the present time the figure is in Fuzhou. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:423a25-b4.)

During the Yonghui period (650-656 C.E.), to the east of Lantian in Yongzhou, a temple called Wuzhen was situated on the western cliff of Langu Valley. It was a most beautifully constructed temple; amid the beautiful mountains it stood majestically. Some monks wanted to build another building near the stream north of the temple but a huge rock there hampered their efforts. They set a fire and released water to try to dislodge the rock but to no avail. Then they struck it with an iron hammer to break it up and found a gold figure within the rock. There were no seams on any of its sides [to indicate casting] and it appeared to have been miraculously produced in one piece. Its origins were unknown. The base was also there, though it was not something made by carpenters. It was also unknown what sort of treasure the five cun-tall figure was. It is currently housed in the same mountain temple. In the same year in Yizhou one buddha image and two bodhisattva images appeared on a pillar in Guangming Temple. Even when the pillars were carved over, the images reappeared. The images were first placed in the Jiulong Buddha Hall but because of overcrowding Aide Zhang Xu moved them to Guangming Temple. The images are still there at the present time. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:422b5-14.)

At the Li Zhao bend west of the Fengshui River and east of E District in Yongzhou is a golden image, three chi and six cun tall, four chi tall with its halo. On several occasions the figure has emitted light. It bares its right arm and looks very fearsome. Having heard of this, I (Daoxuan) went looking for it and found it. The following inscription appears on the base of the image: The image was produced in a temple in Chang'an on the eighth day of the fourth month of twentieth year of the Jianyuan period of the [Former] Qin (384 C.E.). Queen Huishao, moved by the Buddha's nirvana, said, "I am fortunate to encounter the figure [the Buddha] left to which one can entrust oneself. I will make a copy by casting on the basis of the divine mold. If I do so with sincerity there will definitely be [supernatural] responses. I vow to bring merit to beings in the ten directions." 61

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This was the text of the inscription. When I asked about the circumstances under which the figure was obtained, I was told the following. In the past, when the two teachings of Buddhism and Daoism were persecuted, this figure had been hidden inside the whirlpool at Luoren on the Fengshui River. Someone walking on the riverbank heard a voice from within the whirlpool, and also saw light. He related this to the village elders, who immediately went to the whirlpool and looked inside the clean sand there. Light appeared in the water, and by digging at that place they obtained the previously hidden figure. This occurred during the [Northern] Zhou dynasty. Village families hid the image and worshiped it among themselves. The image was placed in a closed room but it emitted light that illuminated it. The figure still exists in the village. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:422b15-25.) In the second month in the spring of the third year of the Longshuo period (662 C.E.), an image appeared in Qinzhou. Over sixty li north of the city, on the cliffs at Changgu Valley on the border of the Mianshang district, is an old buddha cave. Inside the cave are three stone figures. The middle one frequently emitted light, illuminating the forested valley. Villagers, finding this extraordinary, reported to the government office in the city, and a report of the incident was sent from there to the court. The court then sent Xuanxiu, a monk of Dacien Temple in the capital city, along with a secular messenger to look into the matter. Upon arrival they saw the light, which darted around endlessly like the flames of a fire. Then a cloud came over the cave shrine and the light was obscured for a while. When the cloud moved away the light reappeared. The messengers quickly reported this. The court ordered a number of detailed drawings to be made, and while this was being carried out the light appeared as before, frequently on and off for three evenings. The drawings have been handed down to today, and the light is still seen today. In the mountain forest in this beautiful location some places are covered in thick vegetation. There are many ancient remains of buddha figures in rock caves. While their origins are unknown, miraculous occurrences are frequently observed. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:422b26-c5.) In the painting of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in Faju Temple outside the walled city of Yizhou, the bodhisattva, eight or nine cun tall, is portrayed in a sitting position with one leg pendant from the seat. The original drawing was made 62

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by Zhang Sengyou. In the seventh month of the second year of the Linde period (665 C.E.) the monks of the temple obtained a copy of the drawing. Intermittently the drawing emitted light that looked like a golden ring. The light was just like that of the original painting. In this way, as copies of the paintings were made, they all emitted light. In the eighth month of the same year, the court ordered to have a copy of the painting made and presented offerings to it in the palace. At the present time monks and laypeople in the capital city and elsewhere make copies of the painting and make offerings to them. All of these copies emit light. This shows convincingly that the power of the Buddha is beyond our understanding (Note: There is a [different] copy in the household but I will not quote from its record.) The event described below occurred in the second year of the Linde period (665 C.E.). Mount Sanxue, north of the Jinshui district in Jianzhou, was originally governed by Yizhou. Huiyu, a monk of the temple there, is according to the provisional precedents currently allowed to live in Konghui Temple outside the city wall of Yizhou. In the first year of the Linde period (664 C.E.) he traveled from the city to Changsha Temple in Jingzhou, where before the miraculous bronze image he prayed earnestly, making a vow to have paintings of the figure made and to take care of them properly and make regular offerings. He obtained the service of master artist Zhang Jingyan. After undergoing purification based on the proper rules, the artist had finished painting six copies without seeing any miracles, but when he began working on the seventh painting, the image emitted five-colored light that illuminated everywhere. People from near and far all saw it. After seven days the light began to fade. All the monks and laypeople were delighted but their reactions cannot be described in detail here.

Huiyu took the painting to Chang'an but it had not yet been properly decorated. He also wished that the figures of bodhisattvas and holy monks that would be placed on both sides [of the Buddha], as well as other shrine objects, be painted into the picture. At that time all the skillful artists in the capital city had been ordered to gather at the palace. Under the supervision of various officials and scholars, the artists were painting illustrations for the sixtyfascicle Gazetteer of Western Kingdoms, which included forty fascicles of pictures. Since there were no good artists outside the palace, Huiyu asked 63

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Fan Changshou at the palace to paint the features adorning the figure. The work was done inside the secretariat building at the court. On the seventh day of the sixth month, in the third watch at night, the figure began to emit five-colored light that illuminated the area outside the hall. Some guardians of the hall were staying outside, and seeing the light appear above the hall they thought that a fire had started inside the hall. Alarmed, they ran around shouting. Ten officials and over thirty soldiers were staying inside the hall. Because the weather was very hot, they were sleeping in the nude. When the light shone people could see each other's nakedness, and taken aback, they all got dressed. However, there was one official, Shi Huaizang, who until then lacked faith. He saw the light all around him but his own body was invisible. The light passed right through it. When the light dimmed toward dawn, Huaizang repented his lack of faith. He no longer saw the light around him but his body became visible again. Officials and soldiers from other branches of the court heard people shouting about the light and came to see it. They all converted and followed the prescribed way of life. All of these people obtained a copy of the painting and worshiped it at home. (Note: The monks and laypeople in the capital city all know about this. Therefore, I will not cite sources for this story here.)

In the first year of the Longshuo period (661 C.E.), by imperial edict the monk Sengze of Huichang Temple was ordered to go to Mount Wutai and repair temples and stupas there. This mountain was under the charge of the Wutai district office in the Taizhou region. It had five terraces, among which the middle terrace was the highest. From there one could see as far as a thousand li, and distant mountains and rivers looked as if they could rest in one's palm. On top of the terrace were thousands of stone stupas, constructed out of layers of bricks and rocks. These had been built by Emperor Xiaowen of the [Northern] Wei dynasty. On a rock to the north of the terrace were the footprints of humans and dogs. The patterns looked as if they were newly made. At the summit of the peak was a large lake, called Taihua Spring. There were also smaller springs that were connected to each other. On both sides of the springs were two stupas, within which were images of Mañjuśrī. According to the tradition, Mañjuśrī, accompanied by five hundred holy men, went to Mount Qingliang to preach the Dharma. The Flower Garland Sutra 64

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(Huayan jing) also states that Mañjuśrī preached the Dharma at Mount Qingliang. It is very cold on the mountain and no trees taller than a pine will grow; forests of towering pines cover the valleys and peaks. The southern peak is called Qingliang Peak, and at its foot is the office of Qingliang. The ruins of old and new buildings are preserved there.

Over thirty li southeast of the terrace is the ancient Dafulingjiu Temple, with its east and west training halls. The resident monks attend to all matters necessary for following the Buddhist path. According to an ancient tradition, the temple was established by Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty. To the south is a flower garden over two qing in size, where unusual flowers emit light, dazzling beholders' eyes. The gardens are surrounded by trees, and when asked the elders admitted that they did not know the origins of the flowers. Every year from early spring to late autumn different flowers bloom, one after another. From ancient days monks and laypeople loved these extraordinary flowers that are not found elsewhere in the human world. They dug out their roots and planted them elsewhere, but the roots never sprouted. They then transplanted some of the flower plants just outside of the trees that surround the gardens, but again they failed to sprout. Only within the surrounded gardens would the flowers grow spontaneously. This was a miraculous manifestation resulting from the presence of the great sage Mañjuśrī, whose residence was located here. These extraordinary flowers had not been planted by human beings. If those who have sincere faith enter this mountain, they see the many buildings where holy monks reside. Some fly in the sky, while others live at the bottom of valleys. Some live on the precipitous peaks, while others have their abodes in deep caves. Whether monks or laypeople, they seem no different from ordinary and ignorant human beings. After having visited the location once, visitors may look for it again but they will not be able to find it. The temple and its monks appear and disappear unpredictably, and only holy people can comprehend their secret.

In the second year of the Longshuo period (662 C.E.) the emperor again ordered Sengze to go to Bingzhou to repair old temples with resources provided by local officials. Accompanied by the official of Mount Wutai and more than twenty others, Sengze immediately went up to the central terrace and saw a stone figure on the cliff move and wave its hand. When they reached 65

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the place where the figure had been seen there was only a stone. Disappointed, the monk chastised himself for failing to see the true body [of the bodhisattva]. He remained disconsolate for a long time. He had the workers repair the two stupas and the figure of Mañjuśrī.

As he was lingering around the stupas, Sengze suddenly heard the sound of a bell being rung over and over endlessly. An otherworldly fragrance also reached him in repeated waves. Both the monk and laymen marveled at this unprecedented occurrence. Sengze also went to the western terrace and saw from a distance a monk riding a horse, galloping toward the east. Sengze and the others stood waiting for a long time for the monk to approach them but he never arrived. They then went to the place where they saw the monk earlier and the monk had turned into a stump. They could not get over their disappointment. However, in miraculous responses images appear and disappear unexpectedly. On such occasions the sounds of bells are heard and one perceives fragrance in the air.

This mountain range occupies a three hundred li-square area. The southeastern stretch reaches to Mount Heng. The northwestern part goes to the Heavenly Pond. In the middle are Mount Foguang, Mount Xianhua, the prince's stupa, and six temples. The caves in which Meditation Master Jietuo and Meditation Master Sengming sat are also there. Even after many decades have passed their bodies have not decayed, due to the power of their meditation. The attainments of such saintly figures are beyond our understanding. (Ji shenzhou sanbao gantong lu II, T.2106:422c9-423a7.) In the second month of the second year of the Qianfeng period (667 C.E.), Vinaya Master Daoxuan of Ximing Temple, seeking quietude, had withdrawn to the Qinggong shrine, formerly Jinye Temple, located south of the capital, and was cultivating the Way there. The Vinaya master had accumulated immense virtue and had long embraced simplicity.

Suddenly a deity came to the Vinaya master and, paying respect to him, enquired about his well-being. The Vinaya master asked, "Where do you live? What is your name?" The deity answered, "My surname is Wang and my given name is Dang. I am the official in charge of the palace library in the great kingdom of Wu. When Kang Senghui first came to Jianye, the ruler of the kingdom, of the surname Sun, did not accept his authority, but after 66

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he was exposed to miraculous occurrences he built an extraordinary shrine. At that time all heavenly and earthly deities offered support and after twentyone days relics were obtained. When the ruler of Wu took the bronze jar in his hand and poured its contents onto a bronze plate, the plate split apart as soon as the relics touched it. They then burned the relics and struck them with a hammer but they remained intact. People like Kan Ze and Zhang Yu were also protected by deities who entered their bodies, kept their minds alert, and enabled them to always give the appropriate answer. Now they are both in heaven, charged with the task of protecting the Buddhist teaching. I am a messenger under General Wei, ruler of the Southern Heaven. The general is charged with a great deal of work, including the protection of the Buddha's teaching on three continents. If any conflicts or other difficulties arise within the community, he himself comes to resolve it. When I just now approached you the general had greatly wished to come himself, but he is occupied with the matters with which he is involved. He should come in the near future. He ordered us to come and talk to you."

Shortly thereafter another deity came, and said that his surname was Luo and that he was a man of Shu. In the Shu accent he spoke extensively on matters concerning monastic rules. When he first saw the Vinaya master he greeted him according to secular custom. He discussed a number of topics in an orderly fashion and then suddenly disappeared.

Then another deity appeared, surnamed Fei, and greeted Vinaya Master Daoxuan in the same way as the earlier ones. He said, "At the time of Kāśyapa Buddha I was born in the first heaven under General Wei. All the gods were intoxicated with heavenly desires, but due to the power of the vow I had made in my previous life I had nothing to do with heavenly desires, and maintained pure conduct, meticulously observing the Vinaya rules. Novices who serve General Wei devote themselves to religious practice and are not affected by heavenly desires. There are eight generals under one ruler. There are thirty-two generals under four rulers, and they go back and forth in the four realms under heaven guarding the monks and nuns who have renounced the householders' life. Among the four realms under heaven, in the continent under the Northern Heaven the Buddha's teaching hardly exists. In the three other realms under heaven the Buddha's teaching prospers. Yet monks and nuns who have renounced the householders' life frequently violate the precepts 67

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and seldom live according to the teaching. In the realm under the Eastern and Western Heavens people are less cunning and crafty but it is difficult to teach them how to remove their defilements. In the southern continent, where offenses are frequently committed it is easier to teach people to turn to the good way of life and their minds are more easily tamed. "At the time the Buddha entered nirvana, I was personally entrusted with the task of guarding his teaching and preventing Māra from distracting people. If we do not guard [the teaching] and if we violate the precepts, who will be left to provide instruction on my teaching? Thus, we must obey the Buddha's holy instruction. Even when I see those who violate prohibitions, I still take pity on them and protect them. If I see them perform one good deed, I forgive ten thousand faults. I overlook their flaws and do not dwell on their past failures. However, when the bad odor that pervades the human world goes up to the fragrant heaven, forty thousand li away, all the pure deities find it unpleasant. Yet ever since the Buddha entrusted the task of protecting his teaching, we still stay in the same realm as human beings. No deity would dare not to come.

"General Wei does more than any other among the thirty-two generals to protect the teaching. Often the sons and daughters of Māra taunt monks, and those whose spiritual powers are limited become confused. Thereupon, the general comes quickly and removes the source of their confusion. Therefore, when an important matter arises, he always goes to the four rulers of the heavenly realms and when they see him, they all rise. This is because General Wei observes the rules for novices and guards the right Dharma. By nature I take pleasure in observing precepts. I sat in the audience and heard and accepted all the monastic rules the Tathāgata established during his lifetime." Having heard this, Daoxuan asked about hidden meanings in the Vinaya literature, and the deity answered fluently. In the eastern land of China the Buddhist teaching of the Three Jewels frequently caused miraculous objects to appear in mountains, oceans, waters, and among rocks. While these objects are worshiped, no one knows their true origins. For this reason, Daoxuan asked about them. The explanation [he received] was very mysterious, so it is here summarized in intelligible terms. Without an extensive overview the matter could not have been put into words. (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:435b24-436a4.)

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The Daoxuan lüshi gantong ji (Record of Master Daoxuan's Miraculous Communication) says:

Daoxuan asked, "When did the stone figure of Duobao Temple in Chengdu in Yizhou appear from the ground?" The deity answered, "The capital of Shu originally was on the summit of Mount Qingcheng. Present-day Chengdu was in the middle of the great ocean. The figure was made at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha at Xierhe. It is modeled after the entire body of Prabhūtaratna Buddha (Duobao). It used to be at Jiushan (Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa) Temple along the Xier River. Someone from Chengdu went there to trade and requested to take the image back with him. When he came to the place where the present Duobao Temple is, the boat was capsized by the ocean god. Earlier, the man who brought the image had seen a child of the ocean deity climb up onto the bank and walk around and, mistaking it for a miraculous mountain mushroom, he had killed the child. The ocean deity was angry and capsized the boat, drowned both the man and the figure that were on it.

"This figure of Prabhūtaratna Buddha used to be at Jiutoushan (Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa) Temple. The ancient remains of the location still exist. There is also a stupa (at Jiutoushan Temple) that constantly emits light. Traveling toward India, past Langzhou and numerous larger and smaller towns, after more than three thousand li, one reaches the Xier River. The river is very wide—sometimes one hundred li and sometimes five hundred li across. In the middle of the river is a mountain where there is also an ancient temple. Scriptures and images are still there, but no monks live there. The scripture also mentions this temple. From time to time the sound of a bell is heard. The people there are wealthy and twice yearly they present offerings to the ancient stupa. The stupa is like an ordination platform, consisting of three stone platforms. At the top are numerous pot-shaped structures. People there simply call it the grave of a deity, and it frequently emits light. People make vegetarian offerings to seek benefits. This land is located over two thousand li northwest of Suizhou. " Daoxuan asked, "Is the place not far from India? Do people frequently go there?". . .

The deity continued, "At the time of Jin dynasty (265-419 C.E.) a monk found an earthen grave at that location (Duobao Temple). Every time he 69

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went there he removed some soil but he could not level it. Later he opened up the grave and found it very strange. He dug deeper for several zhang and obtained the figure and a human skeleton inside a boat. The skull and arm and leg bones were very large, several times larger than those of human beings today. This is because at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha people lived until the age of twenty-thousand years in this Jambudvīpa world, and these were the bones of people from that period. Now the world age has changed and people have shorter life spans and are smaller. There is nothing wondrous about the size of the bones. When the figure was first discovered it resisted being taken away. I then appeared in the form of an old man and directed the efforts to move the figure. Shortly thereafter the Northern Zhou persecution of Buddhism occurred, and people hid the image for awhile. When the Sui dynasty resumed support of Buddhism, the figure was brought out again. The people of Shu only know that this miraculous figure had sprung out of the ground, but they have no idea of its origin. They saw in many places on its halo and base the word "Duobao" (Prabhūtaratna), and consequently gave it that name." Daoxuan asked, "The characters for "Duobao" are written in the ancient li script, which was invented under the Qin dynasty. How could the people who lived at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha already have had this Chinese script?"

The deity answered, "The li script was adopted by Li Si in more recent times, but it was widely used in the ages of ancient buddhas. It is used now in over one thousand continents on all four sides of our southern continent. In over ten thousand one hundred kingdoms that adorn the Jambudvīpa world, the same script and pronunciation as in our kingdom of Tang have been adopted. It is only because they are situated far away across the ocean of a hundred thousand li that they stubbornly preserve earlier practices. There is nothing strange about all this. Have you not heard of Gu Yewang of Liang? He was the great erudite of the National University. He investigated the etymology of characters extensively, though he did not discuss all characters. In the preface to his work Yupian he says that he opened the grave of Lord Chun Shen and obtained the inscription. It was written in the li script. Chun Shen is a contemporary of King Wu of Zhou and the Six Kingdoms. The li script thus did not originate at the 70

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time of the unification of China. The origin of various ancient scripts in this country of China is not entirely clear. How can we know of the situation at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha? History is not confined to matters that can be confirmed by what the eye can see and the ear can hear." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:436a9-b16.)

Question: "On a hill to the west of today's Western Capital are the Gaosi ("Tall Four") earthen platforms. According to local lore these platforms were made by Cang Jie to serve as his writing table. How could it be that the li script existed at such an early time?" Answer: "Cang Jie piled more soil on the platform and made it into his table. The story that he observed the marks made by birds' feet and invented the writing system from them is true. Cang Jie's background is hardly known here, however. Some say he was a minister of the Yellow Emperor. Some say that he was an ancient ruler. The scripts based on the footprints of birds have evolved extensively over time, and the original scripts are now lost. I would not take the trouble of speaking about things that are of no benefit."

Another deity, with the surname Lu and personal name Xuanchang, appeared and after greeting the Vinaya master said, "I was once born as a god at the time of King Mu of the Zhou dynasty. Originally, I am a deity from the time of Kāśyapa Buddha. Because I can appear in any time and place, I appeared briefly in the time of the Zhou. The Gaosi platform about which you asked was originally the place where Kāśyapa Buddha preached his third sermon and ordained people. At the time of King Mu, Mañjuśrī and Maudgalyāyana came to teach there. King Mu obeyed them. The phantom men mentioned in the book Liezi refer to them. The phantom men indicated to King Mu that the Gaosi platform was the place where Kāśyapa Buddha had preached. Therefore, the king established Third Sermon Temple there. "At the time of Duke Mu of the Qin dynasty a cyclone deposited a stone figure. Duke Mu did not recognize its identity and placed it inside the stable, where the image was soiled. The deity that protected the image was angered and caused the duke to fall ill. The duke had a dream in which he traveled up to heaven and was severely reprimanded by the Supreme Ruler. When he awoke, he asked Attending Minister Youyu about the 71

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meaning of his dream. The minister answered that they had heard of the phantom man who came to this land at the time of King Mu of the Zhou dynasty. The figure must been the same Buddhist deity. Duke Mu believed him, and built a heavenly platform at Mount Zhongnan that was over one thousand chi tall. Its foundation is still preserved. He also built a shrine at Cang Jie's platform, called Third Sermon Temple.

"Hearing that his illness had been caused by the Buddha, the duke was frightened and said to Youyu, 'Recently I obtained a figure, made of stone. He wears a robe and crown that have not been produced in our time. I threw it in the stable. I wonder whether this was the Buddha deity.' "Upon hearing this, Youyu went there to inspect it, and responded to Duke Mu, 'It is the true Buddha deity. You should take the figure, bathe it, and place it safely in a clean place. The image then emitted light. The duke was again frightened, fearing that the deity was angry. He made an offering of an ox, a sheep, and a boar. Various good deities took these sacrifices away to distant places and discarded them. The duke was even more frightened and asked Youyu about this, who answered, 'I have heard that the Buddha deity lives a pure life and one should not offer wine or meat to him. The deity loves living creatures' lives in the same way that we protect our own children. Offerings should be confined to burning incense. One may also present cakes and fruits.' Duke Mu was delighted. "The duke also wanted to make an image of the Buddha but that was beyond the artisans' abilities. He again asked Youyu about this, who answered, 'There should be suitable artisans living next to the temple that King Mu built in the distant past.' The duke found an old man in the village south of the Gaosi platform. His surname was Wang, his personal name was An, and he was one hundred and eighty years old. He said, 'Once at Third Sermon Temple, I observed someone make an image, but I am now old and unable to make such a figure. Four brothers live north of my village. They used to work in the temple. Please let them make the image together.' This suggestion was followed and a bronze figure was completed, equipped with all marks of the Buddha. The duke was delighted and rewarded the workers generously. With the wealth thus acquired, the brothers made another very meritorious act. On top of the earthen platform they built a multistoried building, three hundred chi tall. Their contemporaries called 72

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it the Gaosi ("Tall Four") platform, or Gaosi Tower. Their surname was Gao and the oldest among them had the personal name Si. Some say that the name of the building contains the expression si ("four"), because the four brothers collaborated to build it. Others say that the name of the oldest brother was incorporated into the name of the building. Thus the building was called Gaosi, and it has been called by that name to today." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:436b17-c23.)

Question: "Maudgalyāyana and Śāriputra ended their lives while the Buddha was still in this world. How could Maudgalyāyana have appeared again?"

Answer: "There are six people with the same name of Maudgalyāyana. This one is not the same Mahāmaudgalyāyana. At the time of the Northern Zhou dynasty of the Yuwen clan, Mañjuśrī transformed himself into an Indian monk and came to this land of China, saying, 'I would worship at the place where Kāśyapa Buddha preached and also the place where Mañjuśrī lived, called Mount Qingliang.' He asked the monks and laypeople everywhere he went but no one knew where these places were. At that time Dharma Master Zhimeng, who had just turned eighteen years old, returned the question to the Indian monk, 'How do you know about the existence of these two holy locations?' The Indian monk answered, 'Twenty li south of the Qin capital city is the writing platform built by Cang Jie. That is the location.' He also said, '[If you go] fifty li south of the Sha River and forty li north of Mount Qing [you will get there].'" (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:436c24-437a2.)

[Zhimeng] asked: "To what do the Sha River and Mount Qing refer?" Answer: "They refer to the [present-day] Weishui River and Mount Zhongnan. The Indian monk then went straight southward from the Weishui River, and after walking a long distance he reached the Gaosi [platform]. He then said, 'This is the location where the ancient buddha preached.' At that time Dharma Master Zhimeng was accompanying the Indian monk and he worshiped the site. Shortly thereafter he could not tell where the Indian monk had gone. After he grew older, Zhimeng told this story to the Chamberlain for Ceremonials Wei, and asked him to establish a temple at the platform like the one that had existed originally. A memorial was presented to the ruler of the Northern Zhou and the temple was named Third Sermon 73

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume III Temple. During the Daye period of the Sui (605-617 C.E.) smaller temples were merged with larger ones and this temple was incorporated into Bodhi Temple. The head of the buddha figure at Bodhi Temple, located east of the southern gate to the Pinggangfang section, west of the eastern market in the present capital city, is that of the buddha of Third Sermon Temple. "Twelve years after he brought salvation to Mahākāśyapa, Śākya[muni] Tathāgata came to this platform. Under the platform are Kāśyapa Buddha's relics. King Mu traveled himself to the kingdom of Daxia. The Buddha told him that in the land of China there is an ancient stupa and that the king should return and worship it. The king asked about the location of the stupa. The Buddha answered that it was southeast of Hao Hill. There is a detailed account of this exchange in a Western (i.e., Indian) record. "In the previous year Changnian, a Sri Lankan monk, who had spent ninety-nine years in the monastery and had attained the rank of nonreturner (anāgāmin), heard of this superior site and visited and worshiped it. He also memorialized, requesting permission to go to the place where Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva sat on Mount Qingliang in northern Daizhou. The emperor was delighted and ordered that he be supplied with a horse for transportation and a special messenger. The monk's disciples and government officials, altogether over twenty people, accompanied him to attend to his needs. These officials and disciples all rode government horses. From the time he was very young Changnian had diligently practiced austerities, refusing to ride on any animals, so he walked on foot. When they arrived at Mount Qingliang in Daizhou, the monk crawled on his elbows and knees, climbing to the buddha hall on the middle terrace. This buddha hall was the shrine for Mañjuśrī. The distance from the bottom to the top of the mountain was over thirty li. The rocks on the mountain were sharp and cut bone-deep into his flesh, but no blood flowed from the wounds, only milk. For seven days he lay on the ground in the worship position, on his stomach with his limbs stretched out, and he would not rise or eat. After seven days he suddenly jumped up and pointed in all directions in the sky. Everywhere Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, as a holy monk and arhat, appeared and disappeared, accompanied by several tens of monks and laypeople. A snake, several li long, came from the north straight toward Changnian, who was delighted. After grasping Changnian's leg in its 74

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mouth the snake turned into a monk. People were frightened and scattered to the four directions. Only Changnian remained calm. His various miraculous accomplishments cannot be described in detail here. Having fulfilled his vow, he returned to the capital city. At the present time he resides at Huadu Temple. Sometimes he responds to requests for ordination in the inner palace. Sometimes he travels around various mountains." Vinaya Master [Daoxuan] asked the deity, "According to an ancient tradition Mañjuśrī is at Mount Qingliang, and as the leader of five hundred holy ones he preaches the Dharma. The scriptures make clear, however, that Mañjuśrī is a bodhisattva who lives forever in the sahā world. Sahā refers to the whole world-system. How could his activity be confined to this small location of Mount Qingliang?"

The deity answered, "Mañjuśrī is commander-in-chief among all buddhas. He appears quickly in response to appropriate conditions, and transforms himself in different ways. His achievement transcends the human realm. There is no point in speculating about his conduct. We should know enough to believe that for the most part he stays at the Five Terraces on Mount Qingliang, which at the present time belongs to northern Daizhou. To the west is the government office of Qingliang in the Wutai district. (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:437a2-b5.) "From the time the Tang dynasty was established there is a story of a monk called Jietuo. He had died in a rock cave over thirty years ago but the flesh of his body did not rot, and he appeared only as if he had gone into an advanced meditative state in which all mental activities have ceased. There was also a nun who entered a meditative state and stopped all movements. Both of them stayed in this state for many years. On this mountain there are many holy sites, temples, bodhisattvas, and supernatural monks. People frequently see immortals and the flowers of immortals. Detailed accounts are found in other works. How could one not believe them?"

[Daoxuan] again asked, "Thirty li southeast of the Central Terrace of the present Mount Wutai is Dafulingjiu Temple. Its two halls are separated by a valley. To the south is a flower garden, over two qing in size, where flowers of different colors bloom in all four seasons. The garden is surrounded by trees on all four sides. When people transplant the flowers 75

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume III elsewhere they never take root. These flowers can grow only inside the garden. People investigated the garden's origin but were unable to determine it. Some say it was established by Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty. Others say that the flowers were planted by Emperor Xiaowen of the Wei dynasty. The stories that elders transmit do not agree with each other. What is the truth?"

Answer: "The garden was made by both emperors. As far back as the time of King Mu of the Zhou dynasty, Buddhism already existed. The mountain where Mañjuśrī lived was a place filled with miracles. King Mu built a temple here to make offerings to him. King Aśoka also built a stupa. At the beginning of the reign of King Ming of the Han dynasty, the arhat Mātaṅga saw the stupa with his divine eye and requested the emperor to build a temple. The shape of the mountain was like that of Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. The phrase dafu in the name Dafulingjiu means 'faith.' The phrase is used here because the emperor had faith in Buddhism, built a temple, and recommended the teaching to others. Emperor Xiaowen of the Yuan (Northern) Wei dynasty had his palace not far from the Northern Terrace of the mountain and came frequently to pay respect. The footprints of people and horses are clearly preserved there. These extraordinary facts can be proven. Such miraculous facts are not confined to Mount Wutai. In all such famous mountains as Mount Zhongnan, Mount Taibo, Mount Taihua, and the Five Peaks, holy people live, upholding the Buddha's teaching to ensure its survival. If people make offerings to them, they respond miraculously. Details are found in other works, so I do not reproduce them here." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:437a21-b12.) Daoxuan asked again, "In the Panhe district, west of present-day Liangzhou, the mountain split and a rock image appeared. Of what was the image made?"

Answer: "At the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, Libin Bodhisattva observed that the people who lived on this mountain did not believe in the principle of karmic retribution and engaged in occupations that required killing creatures. At that time there were several tens of thousands of families in the inhabited part of this mountain, but none among them honored the teaching of the Buddha. In order to bring salvation to them, the bodhisattva 76

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built a temple. The divine king Great Brahmā fashioned the image with his own hands. When it was completed, with his supernatural power Libin Bodhisattva turned the figure into a real buddha that walked around and preached the Dharma. Even though the people received this teaching, they still did not believe in it. Then the bodhisattva performed a frightening gesture: holding a huge piece of rock in his hand, he threatened to throw it down on top of them. When Libin Bodhisattva gave this threat, people quickly converted and believed in the Buddha. All the weapons and tools they used to kill creatures were transformed into lotus flowers. The street corners were filled with these flowers as if they had been planted there. Other miraculous signs followed from here, serving as a way of teaching people and demonstrating the supernatural powers of the Buddha's teaching. "The bodhisattva also urged lay followers to build seven temples, covering the land one hundred and forty li in the north-south direction and eighty li in the east-west direction. Over the mountains and valleys residences for monks and buddha halls were built. The work was completed in thirteen years. At that time twenty thousand people renounced the householder's life simultaneously and they resided in the seven temples. After three hundred years they became very powerful because of the karma created in the present life. They willingly accepted in this life the consequences of the evil deeds they had committed in the past and they did not fall into hell. Those who had been harmed lived in inferior realms of existence and made the following vow: 'Those who harmed me have not yet become holy people. We must kill them now. If we do not harm them now their bad karma will soon be exhausted and we will not be able to exact revenge on them.' Together they spat out fire and burned down the temple buildings. The villages were burned down at the same time. Those who survived then drowned in a flood. Not one person survived. On that occasion, before the temple building was destroyed, the mountain deity took the figure and kept it high in the sky. After the temple had been destroyed, he brought it back down and placed it safely inside a rock cave and looked after it. Many years and months later the rock grew and the cave disappeared. "When Master Liu Sahe paid respect to the mountain, he indicated that the figure would reemerge. In his previous life Sahe was Libin Bodhisattva. 77

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The head and the body of the figure were located in two different places. The story of this image is also told in another record." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:437b13-c5.)

[Daoxuan's] Question: "Concerning the miraculous image at Longguang Temple south of the Jiang River, people say that it had been brought to China by Kumārajīva, but others say that it had been obtained in Funan. How can we determine which account is correct?"

Answer: "Kumārajīva did not obtain this image; rather it was obtained when Emperor Xiaowu went on an expedition to Funan. For a three hundred-year period after the Buddha disappeared, a great arhat in North India, called Youbozhina, with his supernatural powers worked with the artisans. For three hundred years they carved out a buddha cave in a large rocky mountain. From bottom to top there were five levels, and the height of the cave was over three hundred chi. Upon request, Maitreya Bodhisattva directed the workers to build a sandalwood chamber inside the cave. "According to Xuanzang's record the image is over one hundred chi tall. According to the Record of the Holy Traces, the image is eight zhang tall, and its feet and base are eight chi. On the six vegetarian feast days the image always emits light. At the time the image was made, arhats led the artisans up to the heavens and the work was completed after they had gone up three times. The second figure is made of oxhead sandalwood, the third one is of gold, the fourth of jade, and the fifth of bronze. Ordinary people today can only see the one at the lowest level. The four levels above are closed. When they are inside the cave people can see through each other's bodies to their internal organs. In the six-hundredth year after the Buddha's nirvana there was an arhat called Fuonazhe. His mother lived in the kingdom of Funan. Thinking of his mother's love, he ascended to an upper level of the cave and brought down a small sandalwood figure, and he let his mother make offerings to it. After the mother died she was reborn in Yangzhou and, renouncing the householder's life, she resided at Xinxing Temple. She attained the third fruit (i.e., nonreturner). It was also due to the supernatural power of this arhat that Emperor Xiaowu of the Song was able to obtain this figure on his expedition to Funan. Fuonazhe's mother is still alive and occasionally goes to Luofu and Tiantai, and various places to the west.

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"In the past Fasheng and Tan Wujie traveled to the west, one after the other. There is a five-fascicle record that briefly describes this figure. How could one say suddenly that Dharma Master Kumārajīva brought this image on his back?" (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:437c6-22.) In this connection, Master [Dao]xuan asked, "Why is it that people particularly love the scriptures that Master Kumārajīva translated in his lifetime, upholding them and circulating them?"

Answer, "This man was very intelligent and understood the Great Vehicle clearly. Those who assisted him in his translation work were also superior; they were jewels of their generation. Later efforts failed to attain the same level. For this reason the translations they produced show the highest degree of understanding, and preserve the meaning of the teaching that the Buddha left behind."

Another question: "Under pressure from Yao Xing of the [Later Qin], Kumārajīva violated a major precept. How could this be said to follow the meaning of the Buddha's teaching?"

Answer: "This is not something that ordinary people can understand from a remove. How could we pass critical judgment on it? Master Kumārajīva's virtues and conduct rank at the level of the three kinds of accomplished holy ones. He spread the teaching in the place he happened to be, deleting repetitions and adding new material for missing sections. He wrote in a way that took account of his readers' capacities. Thus, the Great Treatise is divided into ten sections, of which nine are presented in summary. The situation with other scriptures is also similar. [After the scriptures were translated, when they are recited sincerely] miraculous responses occur. This happens generation after generation. These occurrences enable us to understand and deeply appreciate the holy intentions [of the Buddha]. After all, it is very rare that even a few of us can encounter the Buddha himself. Kumārajīva also received instruction from Mañjuśrī and then revised his translations. Kumārajīva was an extraordinary person, different from those around him. We should not let criticism about the concubines disparage his attainments on the matter of mysterious metaphysics." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:437c23-438a5.)

Another question: "When was the rock figure that appeared from the mountain near Xianji Temple in Fangzhou produced?"

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Answer: "The image was made by Duke Mu of Qin (r. 660-621 B.C.E.). The location where the image appeared is that of the temple established by King Mu of Zhou. After the Buddha left the world the fourth daughter of King Aśoka also made images and stupas, and made offerings to them here. At that time there was one person who had attained the first, second, or third fruits (i.e., stream-winner, once-returner, nonreturner), whom Minister Youyu of Qin always honored. In the past, at the time of the Kāśyapa Buddha, a temple was built here. The monk Xianji built the temple and it was named after him." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:438a6-11.)

Another question: "Today on the summit of the mountain near the Southern Platform Terrace of the Yuhua shrine there is a brick stupa. Each side is about forty steps long. The lowest level is decorated very elaborately. On all four sides are cave shrines. Broken bricks are found nearby and there are also over thirty brick kilns. Elders do not know when this stupa was built. Frequently the sound of a bell is heard."

Answer: "This is King Mu's temple, called Mount Ling. At the time of King Aśoka the mountain deity was ordered by imperial edict to build a temple here.

"During the confusion toward the end of the Western Jin dynasty (265-316 C.E.) five barbarian groups dominated the struggle. Liu Yao, who made Chang'an his capital, had several dreams. The buddha of this mountain appeared inside the brick stupa and in the sitting position said to Yao, "You must drink less and do not indulge in licentious behavior. Remove evil ministers and promote honest ones." Yao did not obey this instruction. Later while in Luoyang he got drunk and fell off a horse, and was captured by Shi Le. Yao realized the meaning of his dream and sent someone to the mountain looking for the buddha figure. The man found it sitting within a small stone stupa. This fit the dream perfectly. Thereupon, Yao destroyed the small stupa and built a big one consisting of nineteen levels. He also built a beautifully elaborate temple building, and called it Fadeng. Three hundred monks were newly ordained and lived in the temple. "After Yao had died, thirty-two people who had attained the third fruit (nonreturner) lived in the temple. Behind the present stupa the mountain deity built another temple, and offered it to monks who had attained the 80

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second fruit (once-returner). The deity went to Mount Taibo and collected miraculous mushrooms and plants. He offered them to supernatural monks so that they could prolong their lives.

"The temple still exists today but ordinary people cannot see it. The sound of the bell you mentioned is that of the bell of this temple. As for the base of the stupa, though it was laid by Liu Yao the location was that of the temple established by King Mu. It was also the location of Kāśyapa Tathāgata's ancient temple."

During the Zhenguan period (627-649 C.E.) in a mountain near the Ciwu River north of the Yuhua shrine a herd of deer was frequently seen. Even when they were chased away they returned again and again. Someone thought that this was strange and dug into the ground where the deer gathered. At the depth of one zhang he obtained a stone figure, over one zhang long. Offerings are made to this image at the present time. (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:438a12-29.)

Another question: "The sandalwood image of the former Daming Temple in Jingzhou is said to have been made by King Udayana. According to the tradition a copy of the image was brought from there to China under the Liang dynasty. There is also a copy of the image in the present capital city [Chang'an]. Which one is the original?"

Answer: "The copy at Daming Temple is the original. When the founding emperor of the Liang dynasty died the figure was brought to the shores of Jingzhou. In the third year of the Chengsheng period (554-555 C.E.) under Emperor Yuan [of Liang], the [Northern] Zhou dynasty conquered the Liang dynasty. Afterward all treasures were taken by the Northern Zhou. As for the sandalwood image, a Dharma master called Sengzhen hid it in his cell and by offering large bribes to the messenger, he managed to keep the figure from being taken away with the other treasures." In the ninth year of the Kaihuang period (589 C.E.) the founding emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty sent messenger Liu Guyan to bring the figure to the capital city. The monks of the temple again pleaded that the image should remain in the Jing and Chu areas. Guyan was originally from this area and agreed to this request. He ordered another copy of the image carved from sandalwood and took the copy to the capital. At that time a brahman monk called Zhenda was hired as the woodworker and he produced 81

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the copy. This is the image that is in Xingshan Temple today. This figure also caused many miraculous occurrences.

"The original image stayed at Jingzhou. Monks there covered it in lacquered cloth and the features have become different from the authentic ones. (Note: The image originally reproduced the body of the Buddha seven days after birth. Now the image represents the Buddha in adulthood. Thus, the present appearance of the figure differs greatly from the way it looked originally.) "Daming (Jetavana) is a place where ancient buddhas lived. For this reason the image refused to be moved north. Recently Dharma Master Yi of Changsha, whom the gods praise secretly, became inspired and removed the lacquered cloth. The true appearance of the image became visible again, greatly increasing the piety of those who observe it. When people opened the cover and saw the miraculous image, it was carved entirely from one piece of sandalwood; no part of it is from a different piece of wood that has been attached to it. The halo and the base are remarkable. They are made of carved ivory and could not possibly have been made by humans. The body of the Xingshan [Temple] figure is different from the original in many ways." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:438b1-17.) Another question: "Near Xiangsi in Fuzhou are many ancient traces of the Buddha's activities. The traces are marked by inscriptions in ancient scripts but they do not describe their origins. What story lies behind them?" Answer: "At the time of the Kāśyapa Buddha there was a mountain deity, whose surname was Luo and personal name Ziming. He was a man of Shu. In the past he was a monk who observed precepts. Hating those who violated the precepts, he made many evil vows, including vowing to be reborn as a great evil demon to eat those who violated precepts. Because of this vow he was reborn as the mountain deity. He was accompanied by numerous followers and the territory he ruled over covered over five thousand li in the east-west direction, and over two thousand li in the north-south direction. Each year he consumed more than ten thousand people. This deity originally was an elder brother of Kāśyapa Buddha. Later, he became his disciple. That buddha took pity on him and therefore came to teach him. Kāśyapa Buddha had to perform many miracles before he could convert him. He conferred the five precepts and taught freely on his previous lives. For this reason the mountain deity stopped killing 82

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people. Fearing that he might change his mind later, Kāśyapa Buddha left traces. King Aśoka built a stupa on of the summit of the mountain. The deity then hid inside the stone stupa. It was made of white jade. The deity still exists. The temple and the stupa outside of the city were also built by King Aśoka. These buildings are discussed in the Essay on Transmission." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:438b24-c5.) Another question: "Lingkan Temple, inside the boundary of the Xingning district on a mountain north of Xunzhou in Nanhai, has many miraculous traces." [Answer:] "Because the mountain deity committed many acts with negative karmic consequences, Mañjuśrī, the disciple of the Holy One, took pity on him and came to instruct him. Having learned of karmic retribution, the deity requested Mañjuśrī to leave some traces so that he could worship them and stay away from evil deeds. Mañjuśrī caused the traces to appear for him. These are the traces that we see today. In the third year of the Zhenguan period (629 C.E.) the life of the mountain deity ended and he was reborn in Tuṣita Heaven. Another ghost came to live here, a relative of the previous deity. This new deity committed numerous evil deeds. The old deity who had been reborn in heaven took pity on him and came down to request Mañjuśrī to manifest minor traces in order to teach the deity who had come after him. This deity also became a follower of the right Dharma. For this reason there are major and minor traces on this mountain, and these traces are not there for no reason. They are discussed in the Essay on Transmission." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:438c5-13.) Another question: "The buddha figure in the rock cave in a mountain north of Qinzhou frequently emits light. Is the origin of this image recent or far in the past?"

Answer: "This cave existed at the time of both Kāśyapa Buddha and Śākyamuni Buddha. A long time ago the second son of King Mu of Zhou built the figure of Kāśyapa Buddha." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107: 438c14-16.)

Daoxuan also asked about Buddha Face Mountain and Seven Buddha Canyon on Mount Zhongnan in Weizhou. The deity answered, "This question is answered by the explanation given above. The Kugutian storehouse was built by Kāśyapa Buddha with his own hands. At the present time thirteen pratyekabuddhas live in the valley." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:43817-19.) 83

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A Forest of Pearls from the Dharma Garden, Volume III Another question: "According to widely quoted traditions here in China, the Buddha is attributed variously to different periods, such as the time of the Yin dynasty, King Shao of Zhou, and Duke Zhuang of Lu. How can we determine the correct chronology?"

Answer: "Each theory has its own justification. I was born in heaven at the time of King Jie, and observed in detail how the Buddha came down and taught. The Buddha has three bodies. Ordinary people do not see the Dharma body (dharmakāya) or the retribution body (saṃbhogakāya), and in these bodies he teaches beings who have reached the final ten bodhisattva stages. Only in his transformation body (nirmāṇakāya) does the Buddha cover the threefold-thousand world-systems. Ten billion Śākyamuni Buddhas appear in response to people at different points in time. It may be toward the end of the Yin dynasty, or during the reign of Duke Zhuang of Lu. Whatever the location and time, the tradition reports the same teaching activity of the Buddha. He teaches differently according to the capacities of the recipients. How can we fix the date of his activities? If we speak in terms of the Dharma body or the retribution body, then he is constantly in quietude. There is no difficulty that cannot be explained." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107: 439b1-8.)

Another question: "Many of the miraculous images found in China are said to have been produced by the fourth daughter of King Aśoka. The circumstances surrounding their origins are obscure and it is difficult to know whether this explanation is reliable. What were the circumstances?" Answer: "There is no doubt about this matter. The fourth daughter of King Aśoka was not beautiful and could not be married for a long time. She always hated her ugliness. Then she drew a picture of the Buddha with features that were just like her own. After drawing the picture she made a vow, "The Buddha's features are far superior than those of human beings. How could they be identical to mine? [Let mine be changed so that the Buddha's features can properly be like mine]." She made this request passionately. After years and months she felt that the Buddha appeared miraculously and suddenly her features changed. [Finding her appearance changed,] her father asked detailed questions about the cause. The daughter told him about her vow.

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"The images at Yuhua Temple on this mountain, Changsha Temple in Jingzhou, Gao Li's temple in Yangdu, and Chongjing Temple in the capital city were all made by the fourth daughter of King Aśoka. Some of these images have inscriptions on their halos and bases, which are written in Sanskrit, and few among the Chinese can read them. King Aśoka made gods and ghosts take these figures to many places, miraculously responding to earnest requests. Those who look at these images see that they have female features.

"The grounds of Chongjing Temple were once a battlefield. Toward the end of the Western Jin dynasty five barbarian groups were active and their soldiers killed each other. Many of them died in this particular location. Human bones are still found today by people when they dig up the soil. Numerous innocent people were murdered cruelly here. Therefore, the gods and ghosts brought the figure here to pacify their spirits and allow them to give rise to good thoughts. When the Northern Zhou dynasty persecuted Buddhism the gods took away the image. When the founder of the Sui dynasty restored support for Buddhism, the figure was raised again." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:439b9-22.) Another question: "Frequently, among worldly people some journey to hell and return. Their spirits disappear and the bodies decay. How could they be restored when they return? Some are gone for seven days and others for even longer, yet, when they return, they are restored to their previous condition."

Answer: "Human beings are endowed with seven consciousnesses. Each consciousness has a deity. The mind consciousness is the master. Even though the master moves away the other deities are left guarding what remains. This is not strange. In the case of the five precepts, each precept has five deities. For five precepts there are twenty-five deities. If one precept is violated five deities leave but the others remain. When a monk receives full ordination, each precept has two hundred and fifty deities. These two hundred and fifty deities miraculously protect the monk. When one major precept is violated two hundred and fifty deities leave but others remain." (Daoxuan lüshi gantong lu, T.2107:439-439b29-c9.) 85

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